System for controlling engine priming fluid flow

ABSTRACT

A system is provided for automatically shutting off the flow of diethyl ether to an internal combustion engine after the temperature of the engine cooling system has reached a predetermined point. The diethyl ether is used as a cold weather diesel engine starting aid and is injected in vapor form directly into the air intake manifold and into the engine cylinders for firing by the reduced auto-ignition temperature of diethyl ether with respect to diesel fuel. The engine shut-off temperature is in a range which indicates that the engine is sufficiently warmed-up to be self sustaining through use of its normal fuel. The system prevents unwarranted and harmful excessive use of the starting aid.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,750,639

DiGirolamo 1 Aug. 7, 1973 1 SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ENGINE 1,764,659 6/1930 Stokes 123/180 T L 2,030,745 2/1936 Coffey 123/187.5 R PRIMING FLUID ,7 2,323,416 7 1943 Parker 123/187.5 R [75]' Inventor: William J. DiGirolamo, Prospect 2,862,491 12/1958 Burack 123/187.5 R Heights, 11 3,189,014 6/1965 K119... 123/187.5 R

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1731 Asslgneei gggf Haven 1,007,114 4/1957 Germany 123/18'0 T 22 Filed: Nov. 18, 1971 P ima JEQHEIGQTNLFXFQ SF Sm M W'll' W. l. [21] PP No: 199,926 Attorney Donald R otsko 1 1am Jones eta [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. l23/l87.5, 123/180 T, 236/99 R, A system is provided for automatically shutting off the 431/77 flow of diethyl ether to an internal combustion engine [51] Int. Cl. F02m l/16 after the temperature of the engine cooling system has [58] Field of Search 123/1875, 180 R, reached a predetermined point. The diethyl ether is 123/180 T, 180 AC, 179 G, 179 1-1, 198 DB; used as a cold weather diesel engine starting aid and is 431/77; 236/99 H, 99 I, 99 R injected in vapor form directly into the air intake manifold and into the engine cylinders for firing by the re- [56] References Cited duced auto-ignition temperature of diethyl ether with UNITED STATES PATENTS respect to diesel fuel. The engine shut-off temperature 2 013 713 9/1935 Hamilton Bl/77 X is in a range which indicates that the engine is suffi- 119131920 6 1933 Dumin....::I:III: IIIW 431 77 ciemly to be Self Sustaining through use of 2,532,896 12 1950 Dillman 236 99 1 its normal fuel- The System Prevents unwarranted and 3,063,640 11/1962 Porland et a1 236/99 R harmful excessive'use of the starting aid.

3,108,747 10/1963 Nielsen 236/99 R 3,294,321 12/1966 Couffer 236/99 R 4 Clams 5 Drawing 1,365,755 1/1921 Waterhouse 123/187.5 R 1,656,369 l/l928 Chandler 123/180 T 1 if 3 50 f3 2a n 74 76 L 22 PATENIEDAUG H975 3750,6139

SHEET 1 0F 2 WILL/AM DIG/ROLAMO INVENT R ATTO R Y SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ENGINE PRIMING FLUID FLOW This invention relates to a system for controlling the flow of fluid to an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a system for automatically shutting off the flow of di-ethyl ether vapor engine starting aid to the cylinders of the engine once the engine is sufficiently warmed up to become self sufficient using its normal fuel.

Various systems are known in the prior art for aiding in cold weather starting of internal combustion engines. These cold weather starting systems are usually manually operated and utilize a highly combustible material, such as diethyl ether, or the like, in droplet or vapor form which is injected directly into the engine manifold and drawn into the cylinders. The material is selfignited in the cylinders by the air pressure-temperature increase so as to drive the cylinders of the engine. In this manner the engine is caused to turn over and permitted to warm up until its operation can be sustained by its normal fuel.

While such engine starting aids have proven extremely valuable in starting engines in cold weather, the combustible starting aids can cause damage to the internal working parts of the engine if used indescriminently or excessively. The starting systems of the prior art are also capable of being used after the engine has fully warmed up. A common example of such abusive and damaging use is known as ether jockeying, wherein a truck driver will use the starting system to ostensibly obtain additional power for this truck in climbing hills, passing other vehicles, and the like. Such abusive use of the starting systems can be highly detrimental to the internal engine parts.

The system of this invention is designed to prevent use of the starting aid after the engine has warmed up sufficiently to permit it to be operated on its normal fuel. The system includes the conventional pressurized cannister supply of the starting fluid, preferably diethyl ether, or other similar material, metering valve and manually operable actuator, conduits from the metering valve to the engine manifold, and preferably an atomizer upstream from the engine manifold for vaporizing the starting fluid before it enters the engine manifold. A control valve is positioned in the system between the metering valve and the atomizer, which control valve is automatically operable to open and close the conduit to passage of the starting material from the cannister to the engine manifold. The control valve is of the type which is responsive to temperature fluctuations, and it is mounted on the engine in such manner as to sense the temperature of the engine coolant system and respond to changes therein. The control valve is calibrated so as to be open when the engine coolant temperature is below a predetermined relatively narrow range, and so as to be closed when the engine coolant temperature rises above the predetermined range. Thus the starting fluid cannot be fed into the engine after the latter has warmed up, the exact predetermined temperature range being determined by the particular engine and coolant used to cool the engine. In the case of a diesel engine which is cooled by water, the control valve will normally be open when the temperature of the coolant is below about 95 F, and will be closed when the temperature of the coolant is above about 100 F.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a system for aiding cold weather starting of internal combustion engines, which system is rendered inoperative after the engine has warmed up sufficiently to be capable of operating normally on its regular fuel.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a system of the character described wherein a temperature responsive valve assembly senses the temperature of the engine coolant and opens and closes in response to changes in the coolant temperature.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the system of this invention with parts removed for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the temperature responsive control valve utilized by the system of this invention, the valve being shown in its open condition;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the valve assembly in its closed position;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the valve actuator portion of the valve assembly of FIG. 2 shown as it appears when the valve is open; and- FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the valve actuator as it appears when the valve is closed.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a system is shown for aiding in starting an internal combustion engine, denoted generally by the numeral 2. The system includes a cannister 4 which contains under pressure a supply of highly combustible material such as a mixture of diethyl ether and oil. The cannister 4 is mounted in the engine housing (not shown) by means of a bracket 6. At the outlet end 8 of the cannister 4 there is provided a selectively actuable dispensing valve (not shown) which is of conventional construction and may take the form of a tire valve, for example. The dispensing valve opens into a metering chamber 10 which is mounted in the engine housing by means of a bracket 12. A lever 14 is pivotally mounted on the bracket 12, the lever 14 being pivoted at one end about a pin 16, and having a cable 18 secured to its other end. The mid portion of the lever 14 contacts a pusher pin 20, which, when depressed, opens the dispenser valve to permit passage of the diethyl ether mixture from the cannister 4 into the metering chamber 10. An operating knob 22 is connected to the cable 18 and is manually pulled to cause pivoting of the lever 14 and resultant depression of the pusher pin 20. The lever 14 can be spring returned or manually returned by pushing the knob 22 back to its original position.

The diethyl ether dispensed into the metering chamber 10 is held therein, whereupon the liquid ether leaves the chamber 10 upon returning the knob 22 to its original position through an outlet 24 and passes into a tubular conduit 26. The conduit 26 leads to a control valve assembly, indicated generally by the numeral 28, and opens thereinto through an inlet 30. The control valve assembly 28 is mounted in the water jacket 32 of the engine 2, and its mode of operation will be set forth in greater detail hereinafter. The control valve assembly 28 includes an outlet 34 through which the combustible liquid passes and to which is connected a tubular conduit 36 through which the combustible liquid also passes. The conduit 36 terminates at an atomizer 38 which opens through the engine wall into the manifold 40.

Thus the diethyl ether mixture passes, under pressure and in the form of a liquid, through the conduit 26, control valve assembly 28, conduit 36, and atomizer 38 into the engine manifold and burned by the engine so as to turn the engine over for starting purposes. It is noted that passage of the liquid through the system and vaporization into the engine occurs under pressure supplied by the pressurized cannister, is substantially instantaneous, and will be metered so long as the knob 22 is actuated, and the control valve assembly 28 is open.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown the internal arrangement of parts in the control valve assembly 28. The control valve assembly 28 includes a compound valve housing having a basal portion 42 which is threaded into a tapped aperture 44in the engine water jacket 32. The valve housing also includes an axially elongated cap portion 46 which is secured to the housing base 42 and extends outwardly therefrom. Thehousing cap 46 is provided with an axial bore having a first enlarged portion 48 which merges into a second more restricted portion 50, there being a shoulder 52 interposed between the bore portions 48 and 50. An

' annular recess 54 is formed in the wall of the bore portion 50 approximately midway therealong and an inlet port 31 opens through the side wall of the housing cap 46 into the recess 54. A spool member'56 is slidably mounted in the housing cap bore, the spool 56 being provided with a pair of axially spaced grooves 58 and 60 in which are'mounted resilient seal-forming O-rings 62 and 64 respectively. The rings 62 and 64 are sized so as to form a vapor-tight seal with the wall of the bore portion 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the ring 62 is positioned in the recess 54 so that there is no seal between the inlet port-31 and the outlet port 35, and thus the valve assembly 28 is in its open position wherein diethyl ether vapor can pass from the conduit 26 through the housing cap bore portion 50 and into the conduit 36 generally indicated by the arrows A. It is noted that the ring 64 is in vapor-sealing engagement with the wall of the bore portion 50 when the valve assembly is open so that diethyl ether vapor cannot pass into the enlarged bore portion 48. The valve spool 56 includes a radially enlarged flange 66 at the end thereof opposite the groove 58. A helical spring member 68 is mounted about the spool 56 and sandwiched between the spool flange 66 and the cap bore shoulder 52 so as to bias the spool downwardly as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3.

A valve actuator unit, denoted generally by the numeral 70, is mounted in the valve housing base 42. The actuator unit 70 includes a pod portion 72 which extends from the housing base.42 and into the engine coolant C which circulates within the coolant jacket 32 of the engine. The engine coolant C is generally water. The mode of operation of the actuator unit 70 will be set forthin greater detail hereinafter. The actuator unit 70 includes a push rod 74 which extends from the actuator 70 intoa recess 76 formed in the lower portion of the spool 56. In order to close the valve assembly 28 and block flow of the diethyl ether mixture from the conduit 26 to the conduit 36, the actuator 70 is caused to push the rod 74 upwardly thereby moving the spool 56 upwardly and against the bias of the spring 68 to the position'shown in FIG. 3. In this position the ring 62 is moved out of the recess 54 and into the bore 50 between the inlet port 31 and the outlet port 35. The ring 62 thus seals the bore 50 against passage of diethyl ether from the inlet port 31 to the outlet port 35 thus preventing the fluid from reaching the engine even though the dispensing valve on the cannister of diethyl ether is actuated.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, details of the operation of the valve actuator are shown. The actuator 70 is of a conventional type of thermostatic actuator which is known as the Power Pill and which is the product of the Robertshaw Controls Company. This type of actuator is particularly useful where extreme temperatures are encountered in the operating environment and when the actuator will be subjected to substantial vibration and pressure fluctuation. The actuator 70 includes a lower pod portion 72 which is preferably formed from a material having good thermal conductance, such as copper, aluminum, or the like. The pod 72 is filled with a charge of a wax composition 76 which display controlled thermal expansion properties. A cap 78 is fitted onto the pod .72 and includes a stepped axial bore 80 in which the push rod 74 is slidably mounted. A web 82 of resilient material, such as rubber or the like, overlies the expansion material 76 and is held in place by being trapped between the pod 72 and cap 78. A rubber plug 84 is disposed at least partially in an enlarged portion 81 of the cap bore 80 above the diaphragm 82, the plug 84 contacting an anti-chafe disk 86 which is positioned below the push rod 74. The thermal expansion material is formulated so as to be stable over a broad range of temperatures, with the expansion in the volume of the material occurring substantially within the temperature range of about F to about F.

When the temperature of the engine coolant C rises above the 90 100 F range, which indicates that the engine is sufficiently warmed up to run on its own, the volume of the charge of thermal expansion material 76 in the pod 72 will increase as shown in FIG. 5. This increase in volume will push the diaphragm 82 up into the cap bore 80 thus pushing and extruding the plug 84 "upwardly in the bore 80. Upward movement of the plug 84 results in upward movement of the disk 86 and push rod 74, as shown in FIG. 5, which corresponds to the degree of movement in the control valve shown in FIG. 3, thus closing the control valve. As the engine continues to run, the temperature of the coolant C will rise substantially above 100 F, however, this temperature increase will not result in any significant further increase in the volume of the thermal expansion material 76. After the engine has been shut off and the temperature of the coolant C has again fallen below the 90 to 100 F range, the volume of the material 76 will again decrease and the spring 68 will act of the push rod 76 to return the latter to its original position and reopen the control valve.

It has been found that the engine starting aids with which the system of this invention is designed to work,

such as diethyl ether, for example, are capable of swelling the rubber parts of the actuator 70. This has the effect of lowering the control point of the actuator. Actuators originally calibrated to respond to a control temperature of 100 F would respond to control temperatures of about 40 F after several days exposure to the ether. For this reason, the sealing rings 62 and 64 are formed from a polysulfate rubber which is impervious to the diethyl ether vapor. Thus the ring 64 prevents the vapor from coming into contact with the rubber parts of the actuator 70 when the control valve is closed. Furthermore, the positioning of sealing rings 62 and 64 on both sides of the inlet opening 31 when the valve is closed, prevents the vapor pressure, which acts equally upon both rings 62 and 64, but in opposite directions so as to be cancelled out, from adversely affecting the rather delicate calibration of the control valve which is the result of the force of expansion of the material 76 and the force of the spring 68.

It is, therefore, apparent that the system of this invention will facilitate the use of an engine starting aid in the form of a combustible material injected into the engine cylinders for ignition therein to turn the engine over, so long as the engine is sufficiently cold to require such a starting aid, but will prevent use of the starting aid once the engine has warmed up sufficiently to run smoothly in the normal manner. The system of this invention thus prevents excessive and harmful use of the starting aid and cannot be disconnected. The system does not depend on the judgment of the operator as to when the engine is sufficiently warm, but rather automatically senses the engine temperature and operates on predetermined parameters to stop flow of the starting aid to the engine. Vulnerable parts of the system are protected from the swelling ability of the starting aid, and calibration of the control valve is not adversely affected by the pressure under which the starting aid is driven through the system.

Since many changes and variations of the disclosed embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the inventive concept, it it not intended to limit the invention otherwise than as required by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A system for controlling the flow of a combustible fluid to an engine having an engine coolant associated therewith, said system comprising:

a. cannister means containing a supply of the combustible fluid under pressure;

b. dispensing means connected to said cannister means and selectively operable to release the fluid from said cannister means;

c. conduit means for interconnecting said dispensing means and the engine to provide a flow path along which the fluid is fed into the engine;

d. control valve means mounted in said flow path, said control valve means being operable to open and close said flow path to respectively permit and prevent fluid from flowing to the engine;

e. actuator means operably connected to said control valve means, said actuator means including a temperature sensing portion for insertion into the engine coolant to sense the temperature thereof, said temperature sensing portion of said actuator means being operative to translate coolant temperature increase into mechanicalmotion, and said actuator means transferring said mechanical motion to said control valve means to close the latter; and

f. seal means operative to prevent the fluid from contacting said actuator means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said control valve means includes a housing having a bore providing a fluid passage; inlet and outlet means in said' housing and connected to said conduit means whereby said fluid passage forms a part of said fluid flow path; first sealing means mounted in said housing bore and movable therein between a first position opening said fluid passage and a second position closing said fluid passage, said first sealing meansbeing operably connected to said actuator and moved'from said first position to said second position by said mechanical motion from said actuator means.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said housing bore comprises a first portion of restricted diameter communicating with said outlet means and a second portion of enlarged diameter communicating with said inlet means, and said first sealing means includes'a spool member carrying a resilient sealing element sized to seal off said first portion, said sealing element being positioned in said second portion of said housing bore when in said first position, and being positioned in said first portion of said housing bore when in said second position.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said seal means operative to prevent the fluid from contacting said actuator means is a further resilient sealing element carried by said spool member and interposed between said inlet means and said actuator when said spool member is in both said first and second positions. 

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said control valve means includes a housing having a bore providing a fluid passage; inlet and outlet means in said housing and connected to said conduit means whereby said fluid passage forms a part of said fluid flow path; first sealing means mounted in said housing bore and movable therein between a first position opening said fluid passage and a second position closing said fluid passage, said first sealing means being operably connected to said actuator and moved from said first position to said second position by said mechanical motion from said actuator means.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said housing bore comprises a first portion of restricted diameter communicating with said outlet means and a second portion of enlarged diameter communicating with said inlet means, and said first sealing means includes a spool member carrying a resilient sealing element sized to seal off said first portion, said sealing element being positioned in said second portion of said housing bore when in said first position, and being positioned in said first portion of said housing bore when in said second position.
 4. The system oF claim 3, wherein said seal means operative to prevent the fluid from contacting said actuator means is a further resilient sealing element carried by said spool member and interposed between said inlet means and said actuator when said spool member is in both said first and second positions. 